Tomorrow Never Comes
by Lefty
Summary: Attacked by a small group of orcs, Aragorn and Legolas defend themselves in what looks like an easy victory. But there will be no dawn for one person.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Tomorrow Never Comes

Author: Lefty 

E-Mail: ksasoccergrl@aol.com

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Attacked by a small group of orcs, Aragorn and Legolas defend themselves in what looks like an easy victory. But there will be no dawn for one person.

Disclaimer: Middle Earth and all it's recognizable characters and places belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. I make no profit off of this. I write this for the sole purpose of enjoyment. 

How the small band of orcs managed to sneak up on them, Aragorn would never know. But the terrible mystery that left him alone and grief-stricken would haunt him forever.

********

Aragorn, Ranger of the North and heir to the throne of Gondor, rode on his horse quietly beside Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood. 

"It was nice to spend time in Mirkwood and visit your father," Aragorn said softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet stillness around them. The two friends were just returning from a week's long visit with Legolas' father, Thranduil, in Mirkwood. 

"Yes, it was." Legolas agreed just as quietly. "It will also be nice to visit your family."

The sun was beginning to set and it cast beautiful colors across the sky. The soft purples blended in with the fading blues as the wind whispered softly throughout the trees. At the beginning of that particular day, Aragorn and Legolas had laughed out loud, recalling old adventures and humorous stories. They had joked around a lot, enjoying each other's company and the comforting woodland. But as the sun faded, and cast its last rays across the land, Aragorn and Legolas quieted down and rode quietly side by side. The peaceful setting had a calming affect and a soothing way to end their day's walk. 

Aragorn began scanning the trees for a clearing where they could set up camp even though Rivendell was about half a day's distance from their location at the moment. He only had to look a minute before he found one neatly snuggled away into the trees. There was enough room for a fire and a place for Legolas and himself to bed down. Aragorn pulled of the reins on his horse and reached out to touch Legolas' arm lightly to get his friend to stop also. 

"I think we should start to set up camp before it gets too dark. How about over there in that clearing?" He pointed about 30 yards to the left of him, and Legolas gave it a look, nodding his head in satisfaction. They broke off to the left of the path they were taking and headed for their new campsite. 

Moments later, the two had begun to chat and laugh quietly again while Aragorn started a small fire and Legolas tended to the horses. 

"Look's like for once we will both be walking into Rivendell on our own," Legolas joked good-naturedly. 

Aragorn laughed. "Yes, and for that, I'm sure Father will be pleased." Both of the young men had a rather outstanding record for needing Lord Elrond's healing because more often then not Aragorn, arrived in Rivendell with an injured Legolas or vice versa. 

Aragorn had managed to get a small fire going just as Legolas, who was finished with the horses, came to squat down in front of the fire across from him. 

"I am hungry," Aragorn stated suddenly with a small whine evident on the edge of his voice. Legolas eyed his friend curiously, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Aragorn's actions reminded Legolas of a small boy.

"I have some lembas," Legolas said nonchalantly They had eaten lembas for the passed few days and although Legolas had not grown tired of it, he knew his friend longed for variety. 

Aragorn scrunched up his nose, and looked at Legolas with eyes that said "do we have to." The elf had to cover up a laugh with small cough. He turned a more serious gaze towards Aragorn. "But I would much rather go hunting tonight," Legolas added, almost mischievously.

Aragorn jumped up immediately. "Good," he said, his face beaming with enthusiasm. "I'd thought you'd never mention it." Legolas laughed freely this time, and stood up to join his friend. 

Since neither one of them had discarded their weapons yet, they glanced over the camp to make sure everything was okay before turning to head into the woods along the edge of the clearing. They never expected what would happen next.

An arrow sailed out of the nowhere in front of the friends and struck a tree along the edge of the clearing, missing Aragorn and Legolas by feet. Legolas quickly drew his bow and notched an arrow, spinning around to face the direction in which he thought the arrow had come from. Aragorn drew his bow also, and stood beside Legolas ready for what they were about to face. Legolas tensed momentarily, his Elven eyes spotting whatever hide on the far side of the camp, and let an arrow fly. 

Aragorn heard the screech of an orc and watched horrorstruck as a large group of orcs emerged from the opposite side of the camp. It wasn't the orcs in themselves that had surprised Aragorn, for he had faced them before. It was the fact that they had managed to sneak up on the clearing without either Legolas or himself noticing. 

Legolas quickly drew another arrow and notched it, pulling the string back before releasing and killing another of the black creatures. Aragorn followed suit, and the two friends managed to slay about ten of the orcs before they were right upon them. This forced Aragorn to draw his sword and Legolas to resort to his Elven knives. Aragorn would have guessed that were about thirty orcs, including the ones already taken out by arrows. The group of orcs split up roughly in half as Legolas and Aragorn were forced to separate and fight alone. 

********

Aragorn ducked a killing swing aimed at his head before straitening up and slaying the orc with a single swipe of his sword. He turned around quickly, bringing up his sword to block the assault of a smaller orc running up behind him. Their swords clashed and Aragorn managed to force the small orc a few feet backwards before plunging his sword into the orc's midsection. There were so many upon him that all he could do was parry the oncoming blows and fight them off as best he could. 

Across the camp, Legolas was fairing slightly better. He could dance around the orc easier with his grace and their clumsy swipes were easy to block. He struck out with one knife before using the other to cause an orc to stumble before he killed it. Seeing two orc charging at him, one running towards the front of him and the other coming up behind, he held up his knives in a defensive stance, waiting for the right time. Orcs were not the brightest creatures, which gave Legolas the advantage in this particular situation. As soon as they were almost upon him, he ducked and rolled gracefully out of the way, springing to his feet instantly. When the elf had ducked, the two orcs, unable to stop their motion before they realized what was going on, slammed into and impaled each other with their weapons. They faces twisted into a grim mask of surprise before falling to the forest floor. 

The victory for the two friends looked good. Aragorn had four orcs left to kill and by risking a glance across the camp towards his friend, he could see that Legolas had three. Feeling the exhilaration of defeating their opponents, Aragorn began to finish them off easily. He kicked the feet out of the one orc standing around him before delivering the killing blow. He chanced another glance at Legolas across the camp. 

Legolas killed one of the three remaining orcs, and brought his knives up to defend himself against the second. Then kicking out with his leg, he hit the orc in the stomach, causing it to stagger a bit before he slashed out with his knives and ended its life. When the orc fell, Legolas lifted his head towards Aragorn to make sure he was all right. 

"Aragorn!" Legolas yelled suddenly for his friend's attention. "Look out behind you!" 

Aragorn turned at the last possible moment to block the orc who was swinging he sword wildly. The orc's brash movements proved to be his undoing. They were easy for Aragorn to compete with and within a matter of moments, it was dead. But it was then, and the events to come, that would shatter Aragorn's life. 

He turned towards Legolas again and watched, horrified, as Legolas whipped around to meet an orc. This one, obviously somewhat smarter then the others, thrust out his left elbow, catching Legolas underneath his chin and throwing the prince's head back. Realizing that he had caught the elf off guard, the orc then shot out his right hand that held a dagger and drove it into Legolas. The dagger sunk into the left side of the elf's chest. Blinded by the sudden burst of pain, Legolas dropped his Elven knives to the forest floor.

The world sped up now and Aragorn was no longer watching the final fight in slow motion. He saw the orc laugh cruelly as it held onto the hilt of the dagger, watching pain overcome the typically calm and smooth features of the elf. 

Aragorn screamed a loud "NOOO" that echoed throughout the nearby trees before quickly spotting, and picking up, his discarded bow from the ground and notching an arrow. The orc either did not notice Aragorn or did not care. Aragorn aimed for the creature before releasing the string and catching the orc in the side of the head, killing it instantly. The orc's large hand dropped from the hilt of the dagger as he crumbled into a heap on the ground. 

Legolas was still stunned and heard Aragorn's cry, but to him it sounded as if it were far off. He stared straight on, and his fingers slowly wrapped around the hilt of the orc's dagger. The wound caused extreme pain and he crashed to his knees. He chest heaved painfully, and taking as deep a breath as he could muster, he pulled the blade out. Aragorn had dropped his bow and was already running in a dead sprint to his friend's side. He could hear Legolas let out a small cry as he pulled the dagger out before letting it fall from his bloody hands. Aragorn slid on his knees to the ground and caught Legolas in his arms just as his friend swayed on his knees and pitched to the side.

Cloudy and pain filled blue-silver eyes looked up at Aragorn. Legolas' breath was coming in short, raspy, gasps and his tunic was soaked all on the left side. Using one hand to rip Legolas' tunic open and his other arm to cradle his friend's head and shoulders, Aragorn blanched at the site of Legolas' upper body. A deep wound punched the left side of his friend's chest.

But something was wrong. Legolas struggled vainly in Aragorn's arms, his back arching against the pain. Aragorn held on tight as Legolas' breathing become more labored with each passing second. 

"Po...poison," Legolas struggled to say. "The...the dag...dagger." His long fingers, stained crimson with blood, reached up to the front of Aragorn's tunic and twisted into a strong grasp. 

Aragorn's heart clenched. The dagger was probably poisoned. Orcs were known for poisoning their weapons to make death unavoidable and agonizing. And judging by Legolas' labored breathing, Aragorn would guess that the dagger had also punctured a lung. The toxin was going straight to Legolas' bloodstream, shutting everything down and making the already terrible situation worse. 

"Lie still. Everything will be all right, my friend. We will get to you my father. He will take care of you," Aragorn said reassuringly, pushing the long strands of golden hair out of Legolas' eyes. "You saved my life, did you know that? I didn't even see the orc coming up behind me. You...you saved me...and....and...now looked what happened." Tears began to form in his eyes.

"Wasn't...your...fault," Legolas managed. Although the words were spoken with good intentions, they offered no comfort to Aragorn. He watched painfully as Legolas' began to tremble and tightened his grip on Aragorn's tunic. The poison was already doing its work and Aragorn realized despairingly that he had never seen anything work so quickly. 

The dagger wound throbbed unmercifully and Legolas couldn't help but twist and turn in futile attempts to ride himself of the pain. Aragorn's figure over him began to become fuzzy before his eyes and he blinked rapidly to try and keep the vision of his friend in view.

Aragorn saw Legolas' eyes haze over even more and become unfocused as the elf's head lolled to the side. He cupped Legolas' cheek in his hand and turned the prince's face back towards him. 

"Stay with me, Legolas," he pleaded, his voice cracking with sorrow. Legolas's focused, albeit slowly, on his friend again. Aragorn managed a weak smiled for a brief moment, but his face furrowed in anguish as the tears spilled down his cheeks. 

"Looks like...I...I...won't...be walking into...Rivendell...on my own...this time," Legolas whispered valiantly. Aragorn couldn't stop the sob that came after the comment, remembering the conversation they had shared not to long ago. The irony of the situation was cruel. His shoulders shook as reality flooded once more through him. Legolas wasn't going to make it to Rivendell. The poison was too strong and was working far to quickly. Aragorn didn't know what to do.

"Do not leave me, Legolas. Not...not now. You will be okay. Elrond will help. You...you just have to hang on a little longer." He tried to be strong, but Aragorn only sobbed wretchedly instead, gently holding his quivering friend down in his arms and letting his tears splash onto the prince's pale cheeks. 

"Hurts...to...to...breathe," Legolas choked out, his head tilting slightly backwards and his back arching against the assault of pain as he gasped for the air he felt leaving him swiftly. 

"I do not want to lose you, Legolas. I...I cannot lose you." Aragorn continued, whispering softly yet despairingly at the same time. 

The comment stilled Legolas for only a moment. "I will...always...be...with you," he rasped, bringing his head back down and looking into Aragorn's eyes. Aragorn realized that even in Legolas' last moments, Legolas was trying to comfort him.

Reaching up a with trembling hand and the last strength he could gather, Legolas laid his palm on Aragorn's cheek, smiling up at his friend for the last time. Aragorn clutched Legolas tighter and whispered his friend's name as a way of begging him to stay. He knew this was the end but didn't want to believe it. Legolas' silvery-blue eyes clouded over forever before they unfocused and his hand fell from Aragorn's face. 

Legolas stopped moving and lay limp in Aragorn's arms. His slender fingers, which had once been twisted in the fabric of Aragorn's tunic, relaxed and fell onto his stomach. The prince's harsh breath no longer filled his ears. 

Shutting the sightless eyes and wrapping his arms tightly around Legolas' body, he pulled the elf into his chest. He cried brokenly, rocking back and forth. Aragorn shook his head slowly, not wanting to believe that Legolas was dead. Legolas was an elf. Elves were immortal. They weren't supposed to die. Yet truth of the matter was, Aragorn always knew that it was possible for elves to die, but he had never imagined that Legolas would. But he did die. Legolas's was gone. "Wasn't you fault," he remembered Legolas saying. But even though deep-down in his heart Aragorn knew that it wasn't his fault, the only person he could find to blame, was himself. 

********

It was well into the morning before Aragorn could bring himself to lay Legolas, his best friend, flat on the ground. But his cries of grief and misery echoed throughout the forest for the rest of the day. 


	2. Chapter 2

Tomorrow Never Comes

PG-13

Summary: Attacked by a small group of orcs, Aragorn and Legolas defend themselves in what looks like an easy victory. But there will be no dawn for one person. CHARACTER DEATH.

Disclaimer: Middle Earth and all it's recognizable characters and places belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. I make no profit off of this. I write this for the sole purpose of enjoyment. 

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews you guys! They were sooo wonderful!! This was the first story I posted and I never knew how great it felt to read reviews.

Guess what? I wrote another chapter. Whoa, huh? *waits for world to stop turning* I know this is like ten years later that I'm finally doing another chapter, but...when I first wrote it, I never expected people to want more. I had to think about what to do next...so yes...a month and a half later, here's chapter two. *sheepish grin* Sorry. Enjoy. :-)

Chapter Two

Lord Elrond of Rivendell walked out to the balcony connected to his room and placed his hands on the wet railing. The gentle rain that had fallen all day had finally stopped and the leaves on the trees shone brightly in the setting sun, the droplets of rain catching the rays. He lifted his head slightly and closed his eyes, letting the soft wind blow gently through his dark hair. Taking a deep breath of the clean, fresh air, Elrond tried to sort out his thoughts. This day had been a terrible one indeed.

*Earlier*

Hearing the desperate shouts of his son Elladan, Elrond rushed out into the courtyard as quick as he could to see what the trouble was. When one of his sons yelled like that, it usually was not good because someone was most likely hurt and in need of Elrond's attention. Knowing that both Elladan and Elrohir were safe at home, the other person that came to mind was Aragorn. Aragorn was due back any day now from his visit to Mirkwood with Legolas and Elrond could only begin to imagine in the short time it took him to get to the courtyard what could have happened. 

When he did finally get outside, the scene he saw made his heart skip a beat. There sat Aragorn motionless upon his horse, clutching a figure with golden hair tightly to his chest. The front of the figure's green tunic was stained scarlet with blood. Too much blood.

The horse was walking slowly into the courtyard and stopped only when Elladan rushed up and grabbed the reigns. Elrond had stopped running for only a moment; a moment in which he whispered the name of the one who he most feared Aragorn was holding. 

__

Legolas. 

And there was a cold fear that gripped at Elrond's heart that he could not explain. Something was terribly wrong. Aragorn had not arrived galloping in, yelling loud enough for all Rivendell to hear, as he had done on previous occasions when Legolas needed care. It could only mean one of two things. Either Aragorn, too, was injured, or...Elrond did not even want to consider the fact that the second option was a choice in this situation. But it was the one he dreaded greatly. 

He rushed to the other side of Aragorn's horse. Aragorn's head was bowed, his dark tresses falling in tangles in front of his face and hiding his forlorn features. He was soaked from the rain but did not seem to be bothered by it. One arm was tightly encircled around Legolas' waist (Elrond saw now that is was Legolas). Legolas, too, sat slumped forward, his hair spilling off of his shoulders and concealing his pale complexion. 

Sensing the others around him, Aragorn slowly raised his head. Elrond could not see the tears that still fell down Aragorn's cheeks, for they mingled with rain, but he _could_ see the heartbreak and sorrow in Aragorn's eyes. Emptiness replaced the normally bright orbs of his adopted son. 

Neither Elrond nor Elladan could speak. 

Aragorn's arm seemed to tighten protectively around his unmoving friend. His voice choked and barely above a whisper, Aragorn confirmed Elrond's fear. "He's dead." 

*Present*

Elrond ran a hand over his tired eyes as he recalled the day's events. The Prince of Mirkwood was dead yet Elrond barely knew how. Rivendell mourned for the loss, but Legolas' people and his father had yet to receive word of his passing. 

Elrond remembered how Aragorn had refused at first to let Elladan take Legolas away as he mumbled incoherently about something Elrond and Elladan could not make sense of. They could only catch one word that fit as an explanation for Legolas' death. Orcs. 

And after what seemed like forever, Aragorn had allowed Elladan to pick up the Prince and take him away. But getting Aragorn out of the rain, Elrond soon discovered, was another matter. When Elladan had left, Aragorn slumped miserably to the wet ground as he began sob again. His frame shook with remorse and guilt, although Elrond was completely unaware of thisparticular emotion that rested needlessly, yet heavily, upon Aragorn's shoulders. After minutes of gentle coaxing, Elrond managed to persuade Aragorn to come inside and out of the once gently rain that, with the news of Legolas' death, seemed to fall colder and crueler. 

When Elrond led Aragorn to his room, Aragorn had simply walked inside in front of him and closed to the door silently. Not wanting to press Aragorn, who clearly was not ready to discuss _anything_, Elrond had let him be.

Elrond's concern raised a notch. Of course he had been worried before, but reality was still sinking in and things were still hitting him with full force. Neither Elladan or Elrohir had been able to talk to their distraught brother and Elrond decided it was time to comfort Aragorn in his time of grief. Turning slowly around, taking one more deep breath of the air, he headed towards Aragorn's room.

~~~~~~~~

Elrond knocked softly on the door and was somewhat surprised to hear Aragorn allow him to enter. He spotted Aragorn sitting on the edge of the bed, staring off towards the veranda. Elrond took a seat on the bed next to his son and made a mental note that Aragorn had not yet changed out of his damp clothes.

Blinking with the sudden weight on the bed, Aragorn turned slowly to look at the Elven Lord. His cheeks were stained with tear tracks and his eyes, uncharacteristically blank, were red and puffy. "It was my fault," he spoke softly. "I was not being cautious and it cost him his life. Why must I be so careless? Why, Ada?" Aragorn's voice was pleading, begging for an explanation that Elrond could not give.

"Legolas' death was not of your doing, Aragorn." Elrond said gently, trying to offer as much comfort as possible. "You did not kill him."

Aragorn did not look reassured. "Not directly, no." He spoke as if suddenly annoyed, his voice raising. The sudden change in his manner stunned Elrond. "But my negligence was his undoing. He alerted me to danger that I was not heeding and in the process it distracted him."

"Aragorn, you mustn't blame..." Elrond tried to say, but Aragorn cut him off.

"You were not there! You did not see what I saw! You know _nothing _of what happened! How can you say it was not my fault!?" Aragorn was yelling now at Elrond and he stood up quickly from the bed. He had begun to cry again, and he breath came in short. He looked brokenly at Elrond, his features softening. After a moment, he spoke again, but this time, his voice was almost inaudible. "I listened to _him _comfort _me_ about how it was not my fault when _I _should have been comforting _him_." Aragorn tried choked back a sob and brushed the hot tears cheeks back in vain. "I held him in my arms as he bled to death, Ada. I watched him gasp for air and held him still as he struggled to rid himself of the pain. I watched all this _knowing _there was _nothing_ I could do. Nothing." He shook his head slowly as he repeated the word over and over. Standing up, Elrond pulled Aragorn into a tight, but affectionate hug.

"No one blames you, Aragorn. It was a mistake. Nothing more." 

The room was again quiet for a moment, save for the sound of Aragorn's weeping.

"Then...then why," Aragorn spoke after a few minutes, his voice muffled into the soft fabric on Elrond's shoulder, "do I feel as if they do?"

~~~~~~~~

Elrond held his son for a long time. He had not seen Aragorn cry like this since he was much younger, and it broke his heart to know his son was in so much pain. The best comfort, Elrond reasoned, that he could offer at the moment, was what he was doing at this very second: offering a shoulder to cry on. And Aragorn needed simply that. 


	3. Chapter 3

Tomorrow Never Comes

PG-13

Summary: Attacked by a small group of orcs, Aragorn and Legolas defend themselves in what looks like an easy victory. But there will be no dawn for one person. CHARACTER DEATH. AU.

Disclaimer: Middle Earth and all it's recognizable characters and places belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. I make no profit off of this. I write this for the sole purpose of enjoyment.

A/N: Two things. First of all, I just wanted to say thank you again for all the reviews. They really make my day. :-) 

Sorry about the delayed posting. I didn't have power for a few days and school keeps me busy.

Chapter Three

The blankets on his bed were tangled tightly around him as he twisted feverishly to escape the nightmare he was reliving. His head rolled back and forth on the soft pillow that was damp with sweat and tears. Aragorn had not been able to sleep peacefully for days and tonight would be no different. Tonight, he would not be spared of this reoccurring misery.

They all started out the same way, but none of them ended the same. The dreams that haunted Aragorn night after night were agonizing and unrelenting, and yet each one was slightly different from the next. They were of Legolas, and his cruel death was played over and over.

_ He cradled Legolas in his arms and watched horrified as the blood from the fatal wound blossomed on the elf's tunic. Everything was happening the same way it had._

Blood seeped out of one corner of the elf's mouth as he began to speak slowly. "How...could you let...this...happen?" Legolas struggled to ask, his breathing harsh and forced. The question ended with a racking cough that left him gasping for air. 

Aragorn shook his head quickly, trying to defend himself. "I did not mean for it to happen. You know I didn't. I...I tried Legolas...but...but...," his voice trailed off dejectedly as he noticed that the elf did not seem to be accepting the answer. Tears fell unchecked down Aragorn's cheeks. He had not wished for this to happen. He would never wish something like this upon his friend and he would give anything to change places. How could Legolas begin to think that he had? 

Aragorn was about to open his mouth to say this when he noticed Legolas' eyes. Normally warm and gentle, they were cold and unforgiving. This stare was one Aragorn was not used to seeing, or at least it had never been directed at him. Legolas' piercing gaze suggested a feeling of betrayal, and Aragorn even thought he saw a flicker of malice. It made the guilt wash over him in waves.

"Legolas, please...just hold on," Aragorn said rapidly, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling brought on by his friend's stare, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Legolas drew in his last breath. "It is...too late." And with that, whatever small light that remained in his silver-blue eyes faded and went out.

Aragorn woke with a start, his chest heaving with emotion and his heart pounding. It was still nighttime and the pale light of the moon filtered into his room, illuminating everything with a silvery glow. He slowly began to free his legs from the tangle of blankets as he tried to calm himself from the aftereffects of the nightmare. At least this time he had not awoken his brothers or father with his yells, if he had yelled at all. It took a few minutes for him to compose himself. He wiped the remaining tears away with the back of his hand and ran his fingers shakily through his damp hair. 

Aragorn was exhausted from the sleepless nights, but he did not want to sleep anymore, for the images he saw were too much for his shattered heart. They were so real, and he could not bear to see his friend die again. He could not have Legolas blame him, even though he knew well and good that it was a dream, and not really Legolas. And he could not have his friend look upon him with cold, distant eyes in his last moments. It was simply too much.

He threw the covers back and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Aragorn would not go back to sleep tonight. Morning might be a long way off, but he was more then willing to wait out the night. 

~~~~~~~~ 

It was not hard for Elladan to find Aragorn, in his room, the next morning. It also was not difficult for him to see, judging by the dark smudges under Aragorn's eyes, that his brother had hardly slept. Aragorn said nothing to acknowledge Elladan's presence when he entered the room, he simply sat motionless in a chair by the window. Elladan walked over to where Aragorn was sitting and stood beside the chair. He remained silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully, before speaking.

"Will you come and eat breakfast, Estel?" Elladan inquired softly, as if not to startled his brother.

"I am not hungry," came Aragorn's detached response. Elladan sighed quietly and pinched the bridge of his nose. He did not know how he could have thought Aragorn might have replied differently. He had to find some way to get through to him. Taking a few steps forward, Elladan positioned himself in front of the chair and crouched down so that he was eye level with Aragorn. Aragorn turned his head downward and the two brothers locked eyes. Elladan was not surprised to see Aragorn's eyes glassy and bloodshot. 

"You have barely eaten in these past few days," he began gently, "and you do not sleep. You sit in your room most of the time and we can barely get ten words out of you." Elladan paused and let the words sink in. Aragorn blinked a few times, but otherwise said nothing. Elladan's eyes searched his brother's face for any sign of change, any sign that the words he had just spoken were making an impression. Aragorn was hurting himself by secluding himself in his room, though he probably did it unknowingly. Elladan decided quickly that he would have to get right to the point because evading the issue at hand was getting him nowhere.

"We care about you, Estel. Ada, Elrohir, myself..." Elladan's voice wavered as he suddenly found out that this was going to be harder then he had originally thought. "I know that Legolas' death was hard on you. It has been hard on all of us and I can only imagine what you are going through, having actually been there. But my point is, Estel, that we do not want to see you ruin the rest of you life." Tears welled up in Elladan's eyes as he desperately tried to get through to his grieving brother. He reached up one hand and laid it gently on top of Aragorn's. "_Legolas _would not want you to do this to yourself. He would not want you to blame yourself. What would he think, Estel? What would he say if he saw you like this?" The tears now ran down the elf's cheeks as he waited for a response. But none came. "Please...please Estel, come back. We...we love you." Elladan did not know what else to say. If this did nothing for Aragorn, he had no other options. He waited patiently, and watched his younger brother, once again waiting for a sign of some change. Aragorn's eyes had always been the windows to his soul, and right now, Elladan could see the mix of emotions raging like a storm behind Aragorn's deep, blue eyes. 

After what seemed like eternity of waiting on Elladan's part, something seemed to click inside of Aragorn. The blank look on his face from only moments ago disappeared. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out at first. Elladan's face broke into a joyful grin when he saw the old light slowly returning to Aragorn's eyes.

"Oh, Elladan," Aragorn finally choked out as he stood up and the two embraced, "I did not mean to make you all worry. It has just been so...so hard. So many nightmares." Elladan gently shushed his brother. This was a big step for Aragorn, considering the events of the past few days. But Aragorn would not be quieted. He had hardly spoken to anyone lately and there were things he had to get off his chest. 

"I..I just wanted it all to go away, yet at the same time I do not want to let go of Legolas." Elladan pulled out of the hug and placed a hand on each side of Aragorn's face.

"I think you misinterpret what it means to 'let go', Estel." He smiled gently as Aragorn's brow furrowed in confusion. "To 'let go' does not simply mean to stop caring for Legolas. Though he may not be here any longer with us, you should never forget him. He was an amazing person and wonderful friend. And as you should not let go of him, you should also not let go of yourself. You have to be strong and move on." 

Aragorn smiled at the comforting words, for they were some that touched him greatly. These few, yet wise words eased his troubled heart and lifted a great weight from deep inside. 

But there was one more thing Aragorn had to clear his conscience of. 

"Do you think he knew?" He asked tentatively, casting his eyes towards the floor.

"Knew what?" Elladan asked curiously.

Aragorn seemed a bit nervous. "Do you think he...he knew how much I cared for him?"

Elladan was slightly taken aback by Aragorn's open question. Did his brother really think that Legolas did not know? Had this been something that was upsetting Aragorn terribly?

"Look at me, Estel," Elladan said gently, but forcefully. "Legolas _knew_. He knew how much you cared for him and...," his voiced trailed off when Aragorn cut him off.

"But I never told him. I never sat down and told him directly. It is something I will regret for the rest of my life." He said, shaking his head slowly. "How was I to know that that would be his last day?"

"No matter what you said or did not say, Legolas knew." Though it seemed to satisfy Aragorn for the time being, Elladan knew it was an issue his brother would struggle with for many days to come. "Now," Elladan said smiling, "let us go get some breakfast. Father will be wondering what happened to you and I. And I know that you are hungrier then you let on." The two chuckled at the lighthearted jest.

Elladan draped on arm around Aragorn's shoulders and the two began to walk out of the room. Elladan's steps slowed at the doorway and he paused. Turning to face his brother once more, he said one last thing. 

"Do not regret the past Estel, but grow and live for the future. There _is_ goodness yet to come." 

The End

~~~~~~~~

A/N: So my story ends. I hope you all enjoyed it. I had to put Aragorn 'at peace'. The whole "letting go" conversation was an idea I got from an old newspaper article on my grandma's fridge. 

And I'm afraid Legolas is really dead. *sniff* I don't like the idea anymore then ya'll do. Sorry...It was just a random idea I got one night. Thank you all again. ~Lefty :-)


End file.
